Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael Callagy, County Manager
Connie Juarez-Diroll, Legislative Officer
Subject: 2020 End-of-Session Legislative Update
RECOMMENDATION:
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Accept this informational report on the end of the 2020 State legislative session.
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BACKGROUND:
Facing a midnight deadline to pass most bills, the California State Legislature concluded the second year of the 2019-20 legislative session in early morning hours of Tuesday, August 31, 2020. Like all sectors in California, the Legislature's year was marked by considerable challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, including extended recesses when statewide lockdown measures were first imposed and when two Assembly Members were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the summer. Despite the truncated legislative calendar, the Legislature considered and acted on numerous proposals of concern and impact to counties.
DISCUSSION:
The legislative output to this dramatic year includes some key measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on housing, health, and labor. The Legislature passed AB 3088 (Chiu) to halt the evictions of those impacted by COVID-19, but only until February 2021. This stopgap measure reflects a compromise among tenants' rights organizations, landlords, and the real estate industry, with no group fully satisfied with the bill's provisions. Governor Newsom signed it within hours of its passage. Stakeholders recognize that the looming eviction crisis cannot be thwarted without Federal intervention, and if federal policies do not materialize before February 2021, the legislature may need to attempt another legislative solution.
In terms of health, dual measures-SB 275 (Pan) and AB 2537 (Rodriguez)- address the need for personal protective equipment by essential workers. At a statewide level, SB 275 would require the stockpiling of personal protective equipment by the Depar...
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